2016 journal article
Do All Dogs Go to Heaven? Investigating the Association between Demographic Characteristics and Beliefs about Animal Afterlife
ANTHROZOOS, 29(3), 409–420.
author keywords: animal afterlife; beliefs; religion; veterinary care
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
3. Good Health and Well-being
(Web of Science)
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
(OpenAlex)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018
ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to explore American’s beliefs about animal afterlife based on key demographic factors such as sex, race/ethnicity, age, geographic region, religion/faith, and pet ownership. We attained a large and diverse sample of respondents (n = 800) using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, and attempted to make the data fairly representative of the United States population by applying post-stratification weights based on auxiliary statistics obtained from US Census data. Results of the study suggest that many people perceive animal lives as similarly sacred as human lives. Evidence also suggests that one’s membership in a particular demographic category may have considerable bearing on views about animal afterlife. The authors recommend veterinarians remain cognizant that some people extend their own views on issues such as spirituality to their pets and those beliefs and values can impact veterinary care and decision-making.